The Epulu Tragedy

The okapi is one of those enigmatic animals. You just can't quite figure them out. They're quiet and elusive, they live in the remote rain forests of central Africa, and they...have zebra stripes on their butts. Kind of.

An odd creature: the okapi's closest relative is actually the giraffe.  Photo courtesy of the Okapi Conservation Project.

I only recently had the chance to read about this story, and what happened is truly horrific. People died for these creatures, and they (the okapis) were killed anyways. It's a real spotlight on the brutality of humanity. It was all done in the name of vengeance.

The Epulu Station, situated deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, had received threats from groups due to their work against poaching in the area. Agencies responsible for the conservation center (which housed nine okapis and numerous scientists) ignored the threats, and early one morning of June 2012, the station and the nearby village was pillaged and ransacked.

Two people and all the okapis on-site were murdered.

I just have one blaring question: why did the media never cover this?

This is also a stark reminder of how dangerous it is to be a conservationist these days. When people go out to save the environment, they really are risking their lives. They are everyday heroes: conservation work isn't just for the conservationist because their work benefits all of us.

I personally read this story only a few days after learning of the death of Jairo Mora Sandoval. I got chills.

Read what happened at the station in detail here.